Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
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One of my most popular recipes, these chicken tenders are marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Like most kids, my daughter prefers “kid food” to “grown-up food” any day of the week. Occasionally, it works to my advantage—a trip to McDonald’s makes excellent bribery—but most of the time I’m just dealing with a picky eater. Rather than desperately trying to coax her into eating dinner every night, sometimes I just make her favorites. These chicken tenders, marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection, are at the top of her list. They’re delicious plain, dipped in honey mustard sauce, or perched on top of a salad. And they’re not just for picky kids—everyone loves them.
What you’ll need To Make Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Step-by-Step Instructions
To marinate the chicken: In a large sealable bag, combine the chicken tenders with the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Seal the bag tightly and massage the chicken until it is evenly coated with buttermilk and seasoning.
Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
When you’re ready to cook them, make the breading: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Whisk until well blended.
Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy.
Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the breading mixture.
Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It’s a messy job: use one hand to remove the wet tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.)
Set breaded tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet.
To fry the chicken: Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set next to the stove. Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about 3/4-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°). (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden, a few minutes more.
Set the cooked tenders on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
Fry remaining tenders in batches adjusting the heat as necessary (if the tenders are browning too fast, lower the heat). Serve hot with honey mustard sauce.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
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Video Tutorial
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
One of my most popular recipes, these chicken tenders are marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection.
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
For the Breading
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
For Cooking
- 3-4 cups vegetable oil, for cooking
Instructions
- To marinate the chicken: In a large sealable bag, combine the chicken tenders with the remaining marinade ingredients. Seal the bag tightly and massage the chicken until it is evenly coated with buttermilk and seasoning. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- To make the breading: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly clumpy.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the breading mixture. Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It's a messy job: use one hand to remove the wet tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.) Set breaded tenders on the prepared baking sheet.
- To fry the chicken: Line another baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set next to the stove. Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about ¾-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°). (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it's ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden, a few minutes more. Set the cooked tenders on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Fry remaining tenders in batches adjusting the heat as necessary (if the tenders are browning too fast, lower the heat). Serve hot.
- Note: I find that it's hard to tell how golden the chicken is when it's immersed in the oil. It may only look lightly golden, but it's actually a perfect fried chicken golden brown. If you're unsure, simply pull a tender out of the oil and rest it on the paper towels to see the true color.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, put the frozen tenders on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through and crisp, about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 925
- Fat: 51
- Saturated fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 75g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 41g
- Sodium: 1866mg
- Cholesterol: 96mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I left a review for this recipe before but want to do it again. I just made this again, probably for the 50th time. My husband said: “This is the best fried chicken in the world. It is not possible for it to be better.” I don’t think I need to say more than that.
🙂
Absolutely wonderful. I’ve never had luck with fried chicken before. I cut up boneless breast into strips and used that. Best ever! Only adjustment would be for less salt. I love salt but a touch too salty for me. This will be a regular on our menu!
Awesome stuff!
I did not have the same success with this recipe as others claim. Not impressed with flavor very much, and breading did not want to stay on chicken after frying. Maybe baking it would have worked for me.
Do you remove the white tendon?
Totally up to you — I don’t bother unless the tendon is large.
I was so excited for this recipe after reading soooooo many great reviews. We once had a buttermilk chicken sandwich at a restaurant and it was the best sandwich I ever had so seeing buttermilk tenders got me excited. However, after following the recipe to a T, I was so sad that none of the breading stayed on my chicken. I even made a second batch of breading and used bread crumbs instead. It stayed a little better, but nothing like what your pictures show. What am I doing wrong? I so wanna get this recipe to work for me. Thanks for your help!!
Hi Vicky, Sorry you had a problem with the breading sticking. If it came off during frying, the oil may not have been hot enough. A good way to ensure the oil is hot enough is to drop a cube of bread into the oil; if sizzles when you drop it in, it’s ready. Hope that helps!
These chicken tenders are outstanding. I think it’s the tbsps of buttermilk added to the batter that is the best part- makes it flaky. Just make sure your oil is not enough and then they come out perfect every time.
We used to go out for fried chicken but since I started making these, my family doesn’t want to go out anymore. They would rather have these. I just wish there would be some leftover for lunch the next day.
I have made these chicken tenders quite a few times and they are fabulous!
Crunchy, juicy and tender
Great flavor!
Marinate in refrigerator? And how much of the buttermilk goes into the flour?
Yes, the chicken should be marinated in the fridge. And you’ll need 3 tablespoons of buttermilk for the breading. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn. I’ve made these with regular flour before and they’re great, however I’m curious to know if you think a gluten free breading would work OK? Thanks
Sure, Nicole, I think gluten-free flour would work here too! 🙂
I made these with gluten free flour and they were a great success! 🙂
Can you use cultured buttermilk with this recipe?
I think that should work – hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Haven’t tried these yet but was wondering if I could use chicken thighs? Thanks!
Hi Danielle, Are you referring to bone-in thighs? If so, you’ll have to finish cooking them in a 350°F oven, as they won’t cook fully in the pan before getting too dark. I’m guessing they’d need 30 – 40 minutes in the oven after frying. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Have made this recipe twice now. My family and I love it. I use a deep fryer to cook them instead for convenience factor. Dipped in plum sauce or tossed in Buffalo wing sauce, nothing beats these. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes.
it will not print, we were going to do for supper, looks like not happing…
Hi a.b., I’m sorry to hear about the problem you had printing – I haven’t gotten complaints from others about it and wasn’t able to duplicate the problem myself, so I suspect it’s specific to your computer. I would suggest going onto the blog using a different internet browser and try printing from there. Oftentimes, those annoying glitches can be resolved by using a different browser. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!